Northern Mission
by Buckskin
Summary: Team Natsu goes north to Boscow on a mission from Master Makarov to find a team of wizards before the dark guilds do. What happens if they don't want to be found? (This is a terrible summary, there is some butt kicking and a new Dragon Slayer)
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first Fairy Tail story, so bear with me. __ If you see anything inconsistent with the Fairy Tail story line or characters, please tell me. Please write reviews, but no flames please!_

"I can't believe you took the job in Boscow when we could have been warm saving that cat on a tropical island."

Gray leaned back and put his arms behind his head. "Come on, Lucy, its not that bad."

"Says the guy who's stripping!"

Erza sighed and looked away from the window. "Natsu, pull yourself together, you're an embarrassment every time we go on a train." She pulled out the flyer for the job, "Now that we are on our way I will give you the details of the mission. Master Makarov posted it on the board, so I assumed it was important."

"Wait, you didn't tell us this was that job!"

"Gray, please try to keep your clothes on at least until we get to Boscow," Erza looked at the fine print, "Master Makarov wants us to locate three wizards who have been on the slave market recently up north. They are being sold as a pair of twins and their cousin this coming week. It says that they are considered more valuable because they survived seven years of stone storage."

"I feel sick…"

"Shut up, Natsu!" Lucy put her chin in her hand, "I wonder what stone storage is."

Just as Erza opened her mouth to explain, the train pulled into the station and Natsu staggered out of the train. Happy latched on to Lucy as she pulled her hood up and snuggled onto her hair. Natsu was leaning against the wall of the station letting the green recede from his face as the train pulled away and the team assembled.

"I'm starving, where can we get food?"

Happy shot out from under Lucy's hood, taking her coat with him as he flew over to Natsu. Lucy began to shiver and growled in frustration.

"Enough! Open, Gate of the-"

"Shut up!"

A hand closed over Lucy's mouth and pulled her into an alley. As she struggled the voice hissed in her ear again.

"They target wizards with rare magic since they fetch a higher price. You have to limit your magic use, Celestial wizard."

"What's the meaning of this?" Erza stormed into the alley with Gray and Natsu hot on her heels, "Release Lucy at once!"

"I'm sorry!" The hands released Lucy, "I didn't see another way to-you're from a wizard's guild!"

Gray put his hands in his pockets. "And you are?"

"How can you be shirtless in this weather? Cover up your guild marks while you're in slaver territory." The girl stepped in front of Lucy. "Guild marks only make you a target."

Their savior looked run down and exhausted. Her sandy hair was pinned in a lopsided bun with a single curl that fell beside her left eye, highlighting her heart shaped face and sweeping grey eyes. The fingers had been worn off of her gloves and her jacket was more patched than original, revealing an angry red and black brand on the side of her neck.

"If you're here to defeat Master Jack, please, do it quickly. He-" She stopped and clutched the brand on her neck.

"Rose, you insolent dancing wench, how dare you leave stone storage early! Who released you?"

Rose fell to her knees, screaming as she clutched at her neck. "Run, before he gets here, run!"

Erza pulled Gray and Lucy out of the alley by their collars and pressed herself against the building. "This is our chance to observe our enemy in action, Natsu move!"

He ran out just as Rose crumpled to the ground. A crack came from the back of the alley and a bandaged man walked towards Rose.

"Beg for mercy from our master, or I'll make you."

"Now, now, we don't want to hurt our precious cargo too badly." A second man had come forward and delicately rested a hand on the bandaged man's arm. "I want her to be alive and conscious when she goes to market."

"My-my s-sister, where-where're you keeping her?"

"I took care of your sister, your obnoxious friend and her little pet all in one fell swoop."

Utter silence filled the alley. Even the wind fell silent. Lucy looked over at the rest of the team and all of them looked shocked. Rose was crouched on all fours at the men's feet, her shoulders shaking.

"Medusan, you gave them to Medusan."

"And for being such a good sport about it, I'll set you fee. Would you like that Rose? You'll be free."

The bandaged man stepped forward. "But, Master Jack, she must pay for her insolence!"

"Don't worry, Krone."

"Master Jack-"

"I said enough!" Master Jack flicked his hand at Rose and her brand began to fade. "She'll suffer through every day knowing exactly what her sister is and not being able to do anything."

Lucy gasped involuntarily and Erza punched her. Through her dizziness she felt the wall catch her and someone singing in a screechy way. From her position on the ground she saw Gray and Erza both yelling at Natsu, who looked slightly guilty. It took a moment for her to sit up, but the wall still seemed to friendly to leave.

Rose had come out of the alley and was standing looking into the inner city. "I have something to take care of, it was nice to meet you."

All five of them looked towards her in surprise. Lucy could see the shadow over her eyes as she began to walk towards the coming snowstorm. Natsu and Lucy exchanged a look and he leapt in front of Rose. Happy landed on Natsu's back and Rose looked up in surprise.

"But, I thought-"

"What are you doing? At least let us help you, you might be the wizards we are looking for!"

Rose walked around Natsu and he turned to watch her round the corner. All of them exchanged a look then set off after her as casually as possible. Even with Erza's luggage, they managed to get all the way through the market district without attracting Rose's attention. She stopped before a warehouse and slammed her fist into the door. A rune barrier rippled and she yelled in frustration.

"Medusan! Let me in, you snake! Medusan!"

"What does she think she's doing?" Natsu whispered. "You can't break a rune barrier by punching it."

"But that's what you try every time."

"Say what?"

A bright light flashed from in front of the warehouse and Lucy looked away from Gray and Natsu getting on each other's nerves to see if Erza had decided to interfere. It was still only Rose, but she was different. Her whole body seemed to be infused with a strange green light and the runes were floating away from her. She kicked the doors open and created a small cloud of runes that floated among the snow.

"Medusan! Come out!"

Gray gasped slightly, "Wait, didn't she train Evergreen on how to do stone eyes?"

Natsu furrowed his eyebrows. "What does that mean she did to Rose's sister?"

"Power of life, curse breaker!"

High-pitched laughter erupted from the warehouse and the team raced through the doors. Rose had her scarf pulled up over her eyes and was crouched beside the statue of a girl cringing in fear. She seemed to be groping for something on the floor as the tall woman in the shadows laughed.

"Foolish girl, did you really think your pitiful power could break my hold? Come now, just because you don't have a brand any more doesn't make you worthy!"

Rose stood up and clearly tried to face the woman but missed. "Release my sister, Medusan!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello people that got past the summary and my first chapter! I decided I'm in for the long haul and that even though my names are terrible I will continue to force them on these poor characters so I can write. Also, although romance is not my forte, I may attempt a little NaLu. Enjoy!_

Rose raised her hand and Lucy saw her trying to aim. Medusan lashed out and her fingers turned to snakes.

"Try fighting the vipers, girly!"

Lucy shrieked and Natsu flattened her to the floor as a snake flew over their heads. "Come on, pay attention, Lucy." He grinned, "With snakes flying everywhere, you've got to stay sharp."

The next snake shied away from the steam coming out of Lucy's ears as Natsu snickered. Rose had clawed her way to her feet against the statue and she pressed her hand to its face.

"Crash magic, surface shatter!"

That got everyone's attention as the distinctive white magic welled up and the surface of the statue slid off as dust. The girl inside bore a suspicious resemblance to Rose and she collapsed on top of what Lucy assumed was her sister without waking up. Gray and Natsu had both taken off to try to fight Medusan but Lucy felt Erza grab her arm just as she went to join the fray.

"I think these might be the ones Master wanted us to find."

Lucy looked carefully and saw a third statue half hidden in the corner. "If they are-"

"If they are we need to get a good look at that third statue. Come on!"

"But you have snake proof armor…"

Both of them jumped out of the way as a flaming Medusan rocketed out of the warehouse and off into the city. Natsu and Gray were both grinning as Erza and Lucy walked though the remains of the wall. Happy had flown over their heads and was looking at something in the rafters.

"Guess she wasn't so tough after all."

"Hey, you were only able to put her through the wall because I softened her up for you!"

"Guys," Happy struggled as he lifted something to the ground. "Look."

It was clearly the shell of a statue, but it looked weathered, like it had been exposed to the sea for a long time.

"The one on the other side of the room looks like that too, only that one is bigger."

"No!" Rose shrieked as she stumbled across the room, "We were supposed to escape together, go somewhere safe, somewhere warm…"

"Oh stop it," The other girl stood up slowly, propping herself up on the remaining pedestal, "I'm sorry, she gets like this sometimes. My name is Iris, and I'm Rose's older sister. The one who was trapped over there was our friend."

Erza stepped forward. "We have a lot of questions for you two."

"Starting with how you know how to use Gildart's magic!" Natsu tried to step forward but Lucy put a hand on his arm.

Iris lowered herself to the pedestal, her face pale. "Rose, Xìa will be fine. She can take care of herself, you know." She looked back at the four Fairy Tail wizards and sighed, "I guess you deserve an explanation of why you are hunting for us."

Gray jumped. "How did you know that?"

"We're aware of how many people covet our-" Iris paused and grimaced, "Rather unique powers. Does the master of your guild have his eye on us?"

"No," Lucy sat down next to Iris and looked her full in the face, "All Master Makarov wants is for you and your sister to be safe. I promise."

"She believes it." Everyone paused and looked at Rose, who was staring at Lucy in wonder. "She really believes what she is saying."

"Of course," Natsu looked confused, "Why wouldn't she?"

"Oh, aren't you so sweet and innocent?" Iris winced as she tried to get up. "Go easy next time Rose, the magic wasn't that thick."

"Don't change the subject! Why would Lucy lie?"

"Because," Rose put her sister's arm over her neck, "all three of us wield a Lost Magic."


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry about the extra short chapter last time, my lines needed memorizing (ugh). As a personal notation thing, the asterisks denote a point of view change (fancy!) and bold writing is either yelling or the amount of time that passed between the two paragraphs I am separating. Also, I am going to post the first chapter of a new story about the next generation of Fairy Tail with Natsu's son Igneel and all of the child folk of the familiar gang, so look for "Inheritance: Chaos" (again, terrible titles) coming to this very website soon!_

_Also, does anyone know if you capitalize magic and kinds of magic? Just a convention question._

"Our friend, Xìa, has a rather unique set of abilities." Iris shook her head and sat back down heavily. "I'm getting ahead of myself, Rose you go first."

Rose crossed her arms and glanced at the still open doors. "I would prefer to wait until we have privacy."

Gray sighed and slammed the door shut. "Happy?"

"Not really, naked people make me uncomfortable. Why aren't you wearing real clothes?"

"I can't help it! It's a bad-"

Erza cut him off with a glare and gestured for Rose to continue.

"I practice an old form of what I think you call crash magic. The original purpose of Crash magic was not to deal with the physical world, but to disassemble other magic."

Happy had his thinking face on. "So that's why you were able to remove the Stone Eyes from Iris."

She nodded curtly. "When properly executed, my magic should have no effect on either the caster or the unfortunate person on the receiving end but as you saw it takes more mental control than is sometimes possible. That's why the purpose was changed; someone in your guild practices the new version. Gildarts, if I'm right."

Natsu nodded. "Why would someone practice your version in the first place if it is so much harder and can't destroy things?"

"It makes me immune to most attack magic, and able to shatter most defensive magic." Rose looked at the hole in the wall where Medusan had flown into the city. "She was a rare case. My guard was down, so she was able to catch me when she caught my sister. Unfortunately, I was conscious for the entire seven years in my prison. That was a long time."

Iris flexed her right hand. "I was conscious for the last two, thank you very much."

"So, what can you do that is so special?" Gray had crossed his arms over his bare chest.

"Put a shirt on." Iris rolled her eyes. "I have what is called Opposite Magic, which is exactly what it sounds like. When I fight, whoever is the person I consider my direct opponent becomes my point of reference. My magic warps to become the perfect antidote to theirs, to a certain extent."

"Wait, so if you fought me, what would you do?" Lucy asked, nervously fingering her key ring.

"Since you are a Celestial Wizard, I would be able to banish all Celestial spirits at will, as opposed to if I fought the stripper, when I would become a fire wizard, or pink head here, when I would become an ice mage."

Iris stretched out a hand towards Erza. "I'm curious what would happen if I fought you, but now isn't the time." She sighed and put her hand back at her side. "The most sought after one of us, by far, is Xìa. The one who managed to break herself out of Stone Eyes."

Rose snorted. "She even managed to get her sarcastic cat friend out."

Natsu and Happy both snapped to attention. "What sarcastic cat friend?"

"You didn't mention a sarcastic cat friend before."

Erza was examining the smaller block of remaining stone shell. "I can see a distinctive form here, it does look rather like Happy."

"That's your name?" Iris shook her head, "I will grant you, the name fits. Feather is much more on top of things than this one is, and she's always sardonic or sarcastic about something."

"Gee, I'm glad you think so." A green Exceed flew in through the hole in the wall and floated in the radius of snow falling through it. "I won't stand to be talked about when I'm not here to defend myself. Now pray, proceed in your appraisal of my personality, Iris."

"Wait a minute." Natsu stood up and his eyebrows furrowed. "That means-"

Gray cut him off, "Your friend is some kind of Dragon Slayer."

The three northerners exchanged a look and Feather looked the Fairy Tail wizards over. There was a moment of tense silence when the northerners seemed to weigh their chances of escape without further injury. Iris glanced at the hole in the wall and that seemed to decide it.

"What do we have to lose?"

Natsu held up a hand. "Wait."

Everyone paused and looked at him. "I'll prove to you that you have nothing to fear."

"We heard you earlier," Rose said, "or at least I did. I heard what your attacks are, and I'm not an idiot. Xìa is different; she is not attached to a physical element that a dragon taught her."

"What do you mean?" Lucy stepped forward. "I thought that was dragon magic."

Iris sighed. "Part of it, yes. What the normal Dragon Slayers wield is that manifestation of a dragon's physical power. Xìa wields a power known as Dragon's Mind, which is not a terribly creative name. She thinks, plans and strategizes like a dragon would."

"This means," Feather cut in, landing on the floor next to Rose, "that she also has some of the physical aspects of a dragon. For instance, she had scales on her back and her eyes are more reptilian than mammalian."

All four of them gasped and Lucy glanced at Natsu. She knew he had always considered himself a dragon, but this girl was the next level and he seemed shocked. The idea of someone existing halfway between dragon and human seemed ludicrous to her as she imagined it, but Iris, Rose and Feather all seemed to be telling the truth.

"So how do we find her?" Erza had maintained a miraculous laser focus throughout the revolutionary story. "Our guild master would like to meet all of you, so she needs to be found."

"No more _all of this is for your own safety_ crap? Good." Feather flapped her wings and crossed her arms. "I'm tired of hearing that line."

"Would she go through with it?" Iris glanced at Rose nervously. "Even without us?"

Rose sighed. "I bet if she got spooked she would."

"I'm lost." Gray was scratching his head, "What would Xìa do?"

"Put some clothes on, you weirdo." Feather looked out the window into the now raging blizzard. "We are about to get cold, because Xìa's plan was to hike south until she wouldn't be recognized at a train station. We're in for a long walk."


	4. Chapter 4

_And so it continues…. Please read and review! Feedback is my muse _

"Why couldn't we have gone to the inn and waited until it stopped snowing? She complains miserably." Horologium related from Lucy as huddled in a blanket inside him.

"'Cause we're searching for a dragon slayer and we need to find her before someone else does." Natsu shook his head and wondered how Lucy got so cold. He turned to the storm and shouted, "XÌAAAA WHERE ARE YOU?"

"A stranger shouting her name through the forest in the middle of a blizzard isn't going to draw her out, she notes."

Natsu turned just in time to see Horologium's time run out and Lucy's surprised face as snow fluttered into her hair. She was kind of cute when she got annoyed. He walked towards her and began rolling the blanket back up.

"If you have a better idea, feel free to share at any time."

Lucy stood up and got right in Natsu's face, her eyebrows furrowed and her arms clamped to her sides. "Don't get smart with me, I was just noting your stupidity."  
The whole effect was ruined when she started shivering and Natsu chuckled and put his arms around her. "Come on, Luce, I was just messin' with you."

She put her face against his chest and he marveled at how delicate she seemed standing there shivering against his chest. Then he heard a noise from behind him and tightened his arms around Lucy.

"They liiiiiiiiiike each other." Happy had come down and was watching them from behind, grinning slyly.

"He's just warm," Lucy spoke into Natsu's chest, "Don't get any ideas from him."

"Are you looking for Xìa Roma?"

Lucy broke out of his arms in seeming embarrassment and Natsu whirled around to face the voice. Feather was floating with a glass ball clutched in her front paws.

"It takes that much to get your attention, love birds?" Feather dropped the ball and it landed with a small thump in the snow, "I brought a message, but you have to interact with it, it will not respond to me."

Natsu glanced at Lucy and shrugged. "Yes, we are."

An image unfolded from the ball and Happy yelled as a hand passed through him in a strange salutation. "Since you are associated with Feather, I believe for the moment I can trust you."

She was tall with long brown hair and olive skin and the careworn look in her light grey eyes of an eldest sibling. As the snow flew through the image Natsu noticed the runes.

"I do not have much time, I'll try to make this quick." She looked around for something in the room they couldn't see and continued more urgently. "I left Rose and Iris behind, and if you didn't make sure they were safe I'll skin you myself. Do not try to find me, I've hidden somewhere not even Feather can find me. Piensa, the dragon who trained me, told me this day would come. If you leave Feather at the Lacey Scale Inn by the shores of the lake ten miles from this spot, I will find her."

Xìa took a deep breath and smiled slightly. "The outdoors are the best place to hide for people like me, those too unusual to hide even in a guild like yours. I'll be up here if you need me, leave a message at the Lacey Scale and it will find me. Send me people who want to disappear, this is my calling. I'll make sure they're safe." She stopped and smiled, "I'm sorry I never got to meet you, Natsu. It would have been nice to meet another dragon slayer. Any last questions before I go?"

Lucy's hands were shaking and Natsu put his hand on her shoulder. "Lucy?"

"What about Rose and Iris?"

Feather was squinting at the projection as it smiled a little bit. "They'll be angry, Rose more than Iris. Take them with you and give them the option of joining your guild. Protect them, but don't tell them where to find me for a couple years. Make it clear this is my doing. And Feather?"

"Yes?"

"Don't try analyzing the live feed algorithm, I'll tell you when you get here."

The ball cracked and the snow scattered the runes. Feather landed next to the cracked ball and picked it up, looking at her bright reflection in it. Lucy's anger had evaporated as Xìa had talked and she hugged Feather.

"I'm sorry." Feather hugged Lucy back, "I should have realized this was one of her set ups, I wasted your time."

"No," Lucy sat back, "you gave us a valuable ally, and we can get you back to your friend."

Happy's stomach growled, "Speak for yourself, is there fish at the inn?"


End file.
